Stackable pallet container fitted with a top reinforcement frame

ABSTRACT

A stackable pallet container ( 1 ) for transportation and/or storage of substances has at least an inner parallelepiped-shaped pouch ( 20 ) fit with a tap and a filling opening closed by a cap. A peripheral protective cage ( 30 ) surrounds the internal pouch ( 20 ) to reinforce the container ( 1 ). The protective cage ( 30 ) takes the form of a wire mesh. The container ( 1 ) also has a pallet ( 10 ) on which the internal pouch ( 20 ) rests and a top reinforcement frame ( 40 ) connecting the sides ( 35 ) of the peripheral cage ( 30 ) at the top to rigidify the container ( 1 ). The reinforcement frame ( 40 ) has a substantially flat hoop made of steel tubes and has a general polygon shape. The reinforcement frame ( 40 ) is connected removably to the peripheral cage ( 30 ) by removable fixing brackets ( 50 ) attached to the mesh and to the steel tubes.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a stackable pallet container.

2. Description of the Related Art

There are currently numerous types of stackable pallet containers forthe transportation and/or storage of hazardous substances, chemical orfood products or powdered solids. Examples can be found in patentsFR2763044 or FR2728238.

Typically, these pallet containers comprise an internal pouch fit with atap and a filling opening closed by a cap. A peripheral protective cagesurrounding the internal pouch to reinforce the container. Theprotective cage taking the form of a wire mesh with vertical andhorizontal bars welded together at their respective points ofintersection, and a bottom pallet made of wood, a plastics material ormetal on which the internal pouch rests.

These solutions are not entirely satisfactory, however, because therigidity of the assembly is not optimised and it is difficult to stacksuch containers.

A solution to this problem has been proposed particularly in patentsFR2596360 and EP2623435, which describe containers similar to thosepreviously described but in which an upper reinforcement structure(stacking crosspiece) is present specifically to allow the containers tobe stacked.

Despite this, these reinforcement devices are unsatisfactory as regardsenabling a good load distribution when stacking.

An aim of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem with asolution that is simple to manufacture, cheap, easy to use and optimisedin terms of effectiveness.

SUMMARY

The invention relates to a stackable pallet container for thetransportation and/or storage of hazardous substances, chemical or foodproducts or powdered solids. The container has at least an innerparallelepiped-shaped high-density polyethylene pouch fitted at thebottom with a tap and comprising at the top a filling opening closed bya cap. A peripheral protective cage surrounding the said internal pouchin order to reinforce the container. The protective cage takes the formof a wire mesh with vertical and horizontal bars welded together attheir respective points of intersection. The container further has abottom pallet made of wood, plastics material or metal, on which theinternal pouch rests. A top reinforcement frame connects the side of theperipheral cage at the top thereof to rigidify the container. Thereinforcement frame comprises a substantially flat hoop made of steeltubes and has a general polygon shape. The reinforcement frame isconnected removably to the peripheral cage by removable fixing bracketsattached to the mesh on one hand and the steel tubes on the other.

The container according to the present invention may have at least oneof the following characteristics:

-   -   the reinforcement frame has the shape of a continuous and        regular quadrilateral, such as a lozenge, a square or a        rectangle, and comprises four large sections forming the sides        and four small sections forming the tops of said quadrilateral,        each of the said small sections being connected to a wall of the        cage with the aid of at least one removable fixing bracket;    -   the small sections of the reinforcement frame connect the middle        of the walls of the peripheral cage so that the frame takes the        form of a square or lozenge;    -   two first small opposing sections of the reinforcement frame are        fit respectively with one removable fixing bracket, while the        other two small opposing sections of the reinforcement frame are        fit with two removable fixing brackets that are spaced apart;    -   each fixing bracket has a general inverted ‘U’ shape straddling        the upper edge of the mesh and comprises a first portion        attached to the outside of the peripheral cage and a second        portion attached to the inside of the reinforcement frame;    -   the first portion of the fixing bracket is attached to at least        two vertical bars of the mesh positioned one above the other,        while the second portion has a rounded profile matching the        shape of the corresponding tube forming the reinforcement frame;    -   the portions of each fixing bracket are connected together with        the aid of at least one through-screw designed to draw the        portions together to form a clamping jaw so as to secure the        reinforcement frame firmly to the peripheral cage;    -   the screw rests against the end of a resiliently deformable        curved tab extending the second portion towards the inside of        the peripheral cage so as to draw the portions closer together;    -   the internal pouch has at its top a recess in which the        reinforcement frame is housed;    -   the recess is of a depth such that the reinforcement frame does        not extend beyond the top of the internal pouch, or is flush        with it.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to theparticular embodiments given purely by way of example and shown in theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the container shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the container shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective top view of a detail of the top of the containerof FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the container shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a reinforcement frame of the container shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an internal pouch of the container shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a top view of FIG. 7.

FIGS. 9 to 11 are detailed views of FIG. 1 showing the attachmentelements of the reinforcement structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a container 1 according to the invention that can be usedfor transportation and/or storage of hazardous substances (acids forexample), chemical or food products or powdered solids.

This container 1 basically comprises a bottom pallet 10 on which restsan internal high-density polyethylene parallelepiped-shaped pouch 20fitted at the bottom 21 with a draining tap 22 and comprising at its top23 a filling opening closed by a cap 24.

The pallet 10 is for example made of a plastics material and has variousopenings 11 and 12 that intersect for the forks of a handling truck topass through.

The internal pouch 20 is surrounded by a protective peripheral cage 30to reinforce the container 1. The protective cage 30 takes the form of awire mesh 31 with vertical 32 and horizontal 33 bars welded together attheir respective points of intersection 34.

The top of the container 1 has an upper reinforcement frame 40 made ofsteel tubes connecting the walls 35 of the cage 30 to rigidify thecontainer.

More precisely, the reinforcement frame 40 is connected to thereinforcement peripheral cage 30 in a removable manner by means ofremovable fixing brackets 50 attached to the mesh 31 on the one hand andto the steel tubes of the reinforcement frame 40 on the other.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the reinforcement frame 40 takes the form ofa substantially flat hoop and has a general polygon shape, for example aregular and continuous quadrilateral, such as a lozenge.

The frame 40 comprises four large sections forming the sides 41 of thelozenge and four small sections 42 forming the tops of the lozenge. Eachof the said small sections 42 is connected to a wall 35 of the cage 30by at least one removable fixing bracket 50.

Advantageously, the small sections 42 of the reinforcement frame 40connect the middle of the walls 35 of the peripheral cage 30, two firstsmall opposing sections of the reinforcement frame 40 being fittedrespectively with one removable fixing bracket 50, while the other twosmall opposing sections 42 are fitted with two removable fixing brackets50 that are spaced apart.

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, each fixing bracket 50 has a general inverted‘U’ shape straddling the top edge 36 of the mesh 31 and comprises afirst portion 51 attached to the outside of the reinforcement peripheralcage and a second section 52 attached to the inside of the reinforcementframe.

More precisely, the first portion 51 of the fixing bracket 50 isattached to the edge 36 of the mesh as well as to at least one adjacenthorizontal bar 33, while the second portion 52 has a rounded profilematching the shape of the corresponding tube forming the reinforcementframe 40.

Furthermore, portions 51 and 52 of each fixing bracket 50 are connectedtogether with the aid of at least one through-screw 55 to draw theportions together to form a clamping jaw so as to secure thereinforcement frame 40 firmly to the peripheral cage 30.

Advantageously, the screw 55 rests against the end 56 of a resilientlydeformable curved tab 57 extending the second portion 52 towards theinside of the peripheral cage 30 so as to draw the portions closertogether to improve the grip.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the internal pouch 20 has at its top 23 arecess 26 in which the reinforcement frame 40 is housed.

More precisely, the recess 26 is of a depth such that the reinforcementframe does not extend beyond the top of the pouch 20, or is flush withit.

The container 1 thus made has good rigidity enabling it to withstandimpacts and be stackable. Moreover, the reinforcement frame 40 beingremovable makes it possible, if necessary, to remove the internal pouch20 to replace or repair it.

Clearly, the detailed description of the subject-matter of theinvention, given purely by way of example, in no way constitutes alimitation, equivalent techniques also being included in the scope ofthe present invention.

Thus, the pallet can be made of wood or a plastics material.

The shape of the reinforcement frame 40 can also be a square or arectangle, depending on the cross-section of the container 1 (pouch 20and cage 30) and the place where it is fixed onto the mesh.

What is claimed is:
 1. A stackable pallet container (1) fortransportation and/or storage of hazardous substances, chemical or foodproducts or powdered solids, comprising: an inner parallelepiped-shapedhigh-density polyethylene pouch (20) fit at the bottom with a tap andcomprising at the top a filling opening closed by a cap, a peripheralprotective cage (30) surrounding the internal pouch (20) to reinforcethe container (1), the protective cage (30) taking the form of a wiremesh (31) with vertical (32) and horizontal (33) bars welded together attheir respective points of intersection (34), a bottom pallet (10) madeof wood, plastics material or metal, on which the internal pouch (20)rests, a top reinforcement frame (40) removably connecting the sides(35) of the peripheral cage (30) at the top thereof by means ofremovable fixing brackets (50) attached to the mesh and to the steeltubes, the reinforcement frame (40) including a substantially flat hoopmade of steel tubes and having a general polygon shape, wherein thereinforcement frame (40) has the shape of a continuous and regularquadrilateral, a lozenge, a square or a rectangle, and comprises fourlarge sections (41) forming the sides and four small sections (42)forming tops of the quadrilateral, each of the small sections (42) beingconnected to a wall (35) of the peripheral cage (30) by the at least oneremovable fixing bracket (50).
 2. The container (1) of claim 1, whereinthe small sections (42) of the reinforcement frame (40) connect themiddle of the walls (35) of the peripheral cage (30) so that the saidframe (40) takes the form of a square or lozenge.
 3. The container (1)of claim 2, wherein two of the first small opposing sections (42) of thereinforcement frame (40) are fit respectively with one of the removablefixing bracket (50), while the other two small opposing sections (42) ofthe reinforcement frame (40) are fit with two of the removable fixingbrackets (50) that are spaced apart.
 4. The container (1) of claim 1,wherein each of the fixing brackets (50) has a generally inverted ‘U’shape straddling the upper edge (36) of the mesh and comprises a firstportion (51) attached to the outside of the peripheral cage (30) and asecond portion (52) attached to the reinforcement frame (40).
 5. Thecontainer (1) of claim 4, wherein the first portion (51) of the fixingbracket (50) is attached to at least two horizontal bars (36, 33) of themesh positioned one above the other, while the second portion (52) has arounded profile (53) matching a shape of the corresponding tube formingthe reinforcement frame (40).
 6. The container (1) of claim 4, whereinthe portions (51, 52) of each of the fixing brackets (50) are connectedtogether by at least one through-screw (55) configured to bring theportions (51, 52) together to form a clamping jaw so as to secure thereinforcement frame (40) firmly to the peripheral cage (30).
 7. Thecontainer (1) of claim 6, wherein the screw (55) rests against an end(56) of a resiliently deformable curved tab (57) extending the secondportion (57) towards the inside of the peripheral cage (30) so as todraw the portions closer together.
 8. The container (1) of claim 1,wherein the internal pouch (20) has at its top (23) a recess (26) inwhich the reinforcement frame (40) is housed.
 9. The container (1) ofclaim 8, wherein the recess (26) has depth so that the reinforcementframe (40) does not extend beyond the top (23) of the internal pouch(20), or is flush with it.